The mauri of te awa o Waiāri is its ability to support life, both the flora and fauna within it, and the iwi who depend on it for kai, ceremonies and spiritual wellbeing

The mauri-o-meter interprets western science and mātauranga Māori to determine its condition in terms of mauri . It is represented on a five-point scale from mauri ora or flourishing mauri, to mauri noho or languishing mauri. The tewhatewha indicates the condition and trend of mauri at any point in time.

The mauri of the Waiāri is being tracked using both real-time biophysical sensors, together with cultural monitoring by iwi kaitiaki. Eventually, other measures of mauri will be incorporated to form a comprehensive represention of the mauri of the rohe.